To improve at jiu-jitsu, you must be attending class on a regular basis.
But to improve at the fastest rate possible, showing up and going through the motions is not good enough.
The students who make the fastest progress tend to do a few things that accelerate their progress.
They try the techniques they learned in class
Some students just want to survive the rolls and measure their success by whether or not they get tapped.
This is not really the goal of training.
The goal of your training should be to get better! The way to do that is to have confidence in the techniques that your instructor shows and actually try to execute them in your rolling.
Sometimes you “don’t know what you don’t know” and need an experienced eye to guide you to build your jiu-jitsu.
They ask questions from rolling
Okay, you rolled three rounds last class and your guard got passed multiple times. The next class, ask your instructor how you can prevent that from happening again. Your instructor will ask you to show the situation and you can get specific advice on how to correct your mistakes.
Step by step, brick by brick you find solutions to your own personal jiu-jitsu game and correct your weaknesses. Most of my jiu-jitsu knowledge after purple belt came from asking my instructor questions that came up in my rolling.
A smart student asks questions!
They have a specific focus each time on the mat
Sure, you can improve if you just keep showing up and taking the class. You will absorb techniques by osmosis and just being on the mat.
But a more efficient way is to identify a specific position or technique that you want to add to your jiu-jitsu and get obsessed with it for a month or two.
Drill the techniques for spider guard again and again each chance you get for one month. Study YouTube videos on the position. Ask the senior belts in your academy what they do in the spider guard. Start your sparring in that position.
Set aside your other techniques for a while and concentrate on spider guard. After a while, switch to some other position and gain expertise in a different area.
This is not only a solid way to improve, but it will keep your learning and mind fresh.
Self-directed training is key to you developing your personal jiu-jitsu game.
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